What’s up with Michael Sam?
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound, NFL hopeful/Dancing With The Stars contestant lasted less than three weeks with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. This is the third team that hasn’t worked out for the former college football star who just a year ago became the first openly gay player to be drafted by the National Football League.
Related: The Meteoric Rise And Fall Of The Mighty Michael Sam
For now, team officials are keeping mum about Sam’s reasons for leaving, but it doesn’t sound good.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Everything that has been said is done,” head coach Tom Higgins said at a press conference. “A lot of things happened and unfolded. That’s not to be discussed. We’re putting that behind us.”
General manager Jim Popp added: “There’s nothing to tell you. He wanted to go home, and that’s what he did. I don’t know why. When a guy wants to go home, they go home. He had some personal things to take care of.”
Sam Joined the league with high hopes. Not only is the CFL considered a more tolerant place, but it can serve as a stepping stone to the NFL for many hopefuls once they prove themselves on the field. And what gay man wouldn’t want to live in Montreal? No word on whether Sam simply missed home cooking and his sexy BF, Vito Cammisano.
Teammates say Sam nonetheless had trouble adjusting to Canadian professional football and, according to one source, he “kind of stuck to himself.”
Team officials say they are baffled by Sam’s sudden departure, but that he is welcome to return. In fact, they hope he does.
“I’m surprised he left,” Popp said. “I was very surprised. If he doesn’t come back, I would think football’s over for him. He’s the one that has to face that.”
UPDATE: Sam returned to practice with the Canadian Football League team Monday, June 29. Upon his return, Sam told press: “I was always coming back,” he said. “I had to deal with personal matters when I was home. That’s all taken care of, so now I’m back.”
Related: Michael Sam Suggests He Was Booted From The NFL For Being Gay
h/t: Montreal Gazette
Richard Neely
It’s the bf. It’s always the bf.
Gus Anderson
Michael Sam and Tim Tebow can co-commentator sports shows on ESPN. It will be a hoot.
Noah Ayyash
Who cares? He’s a fuckin’ BUM!
Bryan Holmes
Has he has a career ?
Masc Pride
Michael Sam has the makings to become the next famous-for-nothing reality “star”. He just wasn’t a good player, and he seems like a bit of a diva too. I think his presence was kind of forced onto the league, which is unfortunate because now a lot of closeted players probably feel like he hasn’t made it because of his sexuality. In reality he’s just a crappy player and a media wh0re, and coaches hate both. This whole mess just set the idea of more openly gay players waaaaaaaaaay back.
Bob LaBlah
Michael Sams seems to be his own worst enemy. If by team three he hasn’t found a decent (there is no such thing as perfect) fit then he needs to start looking at another career or himself and start asking “am I really in the right career’. Professional football, like it or not, is a sport where the players actually ARE expected to be seen AFTER the game getting together for a drink at whatever watering hole that is not too far from the stadium to boost liquor sales and such. The entire world knows by now there are one or two of “them” showing besides their favorite player. I thought everyone knew this. This is why being gay is tolerated more or less as long as you shut up about it. He walks thru the door trying to change the order of things. And then leak after leak (or in my opinion his shouting F-U to the world in each leak) such as Grindr photos, boyfriend pics only to be topped of by NOT wanting to even shower or be in the same locker room as your team mates…come on, get real. Just say you didnt want the damn job and leave it be.
This is why I really do wish he had SHUT up, signed the contract FIRST, and then come out of the closet. Being/sounding like nothing else but a gay stand-offish from everyone type football player has now gotten old. I guess he knows by now that with no income to speak of more or less doest help buy toilet paper and air freshener at Dollar General.
Yes, kid, you blew your chance to be rich by being nothing else but yourself. It is time to start looking at YOU instead of the people who rejected you. Your story is a classic as to why it is still important to shut your mouth up as far as to where and with whom you sleep. It is NOT in your best interest in many cases throughout life that people know that about you.
jason smeds
It’s very hard for a homosexually-inclined man to bond with heterosexually-inclined man. Keep in mind that male bonding is based largely on shared sexual interests. When one man is interested in sex with men but his team-mate is interested in sex with women, it doesn’t make for male bonding.
Then once breeding sets in, the heterosexually-inclined man’s interests turn to child-care, school, trips to Disney World etc. The homosexually inclined man continues on his path to the nearest bath-house.
John Kuehnle
It’s just heartwarming how supportive some are.
Glücklich
@Bryan Holmes:
Thinking the same thing. Coupla weeks at each place does not a career make. It does a Temp make.
Paul Wallin
Who cares? maybe Obama.
OrlArno Barajas
Who is this guy?
Giancarlo85
@jason smeds: you’re so full of shit. They do indeed bond all the time.
Xzamilio
Yup… saw it coming a mile away, and unfortunately, the media used him to hype up a storyline his skillset was not ready to validate.
http://shallowvoices.blogspot.com/2015/01/michael-sam.html
Xzamilio
But baby got back!!! I will say that!!!
SportGuy
Who cares. He was never that good to begin with. So now he can go off and be with his hobbit bf, oh wait, pretty sure rumor is his bf is dating a current NFL player. Oh well.
Creamsicle
I’m not terribly surprised. I don’t even keep up with Football, so I don’t know if this kid’s got the skills to pay the bills or what. A few years ago Aisha Tyler did a fantastic interview with Isaiah Mustafa, who played for the Seattle Seahawks, as well as a few other teams. This is the fate of many, many players in the NFL. They’re not all Jerry Rice, and it’s pretty common for a middlingly good player to just get bounced around teams until he ultimately leaves the pro-leagues all together. This COULD have something to do with his sexual orientation, but it could just easily have nothing at all to do with it.
Finrod
@jason smeds: “It’s very hard for a homosexually-inclined man to bond with heterosexually-inclined man.” — Oh, please. I’ve had close straight male friends for years. And if you haven’t noticed, gay men now have children, too.
Stephen Meeks
Yes
lauraspencer
Just as a good record in high school doesn’t necessarily translate to college the same can be said for college sports to professional. Sam was a good college player, but even when drafted a lot of commentators and fans didn’t think that success would translate to the NFL.
When it wasn’t working out it appears that Sam, not able to be a sport’s star, tried to grab the Hollywood spotlight….show on OWN, DANCING WITH THE STARS, popping up in celeb mags with the wannabe boyfriend, etc. This turned a lot of people off.
Bizarre that in less than a year after winning the Arthur Ashe courage award which is to honor athletes Sam’s athletic career appears to be over.
Merv
Unfortunately, it’s probably over as a pro player, and it’s a real shame. If he can’t make it in the NFL or CFL, there aren’t a lot of other places to go. With luck, he can eventually get a coach or assistant coach position on a high school or college team, if he wants anything to do with football at all. The flameout was spectacular and complete.
Lester Louie
For sure.
Blazipitous
I wholeheartedly agree with Jason Smeds on this. After 19 years of a great friendship, I told my best friend that I liked guys just about two weeks ago and he deleted me off his Facebook 4 days ago and I let it go as well and deleted him off my WhatsApp. I’m too proud to try and “talk it out” and I won’t apologise for anything. This is my life!
I’d always thought he was the most intelligent and most open-minded one from that group of idiots, but hey, it is what it is. I got to see that at the end of the day, we’re all alone on this planet. I just don’t mend broken friendships. I’ll not necessarily hate you, but we’ll never be friends again either. Whatever is it that made us clash today will surely still exist tomorrow, so why bother?
When I jokingly tried to “take back” what I had said, he said, “phew! What a relief! Don’t ever say shit like that to me, dude. It’s fucking nasty [thumbs down emoji].” and I tested the waters farther and asked him what he’d choose for me if he could and he said, “well, I’d choose for you a brainy brunette with a big booty and a big rack.” and I simply said, “I see.” A few hours after some silence, he asked if I really was joking about my attraction towards men, to which I replied “no”. Needless to things never went back to normal, which I have no problem with. The trash took itself out.
My point is what Jason Smeds is saying very true and saying otherwise is simply being politically correct and/or denial. Well, at least most of what he’s saying is true. Sure there are gay-straight male friendships, but MOST of them are patronising and just not real. Most gay men think their friendship with straight males has the same weight as the typical straight-straight male friendship, more often than not, IT DOES NOT.
MarionPaige
Michael Sam redefines Snow Blind. He said he came out because Vito was out and they couldn’t be together in public unless Sam came out. THAT was his logic, risk everything so he could be seen in public with that thang who dated a bareback gay porn star.
Carl McClanahan
Who cares already ???
Cagnazzo82
Life isn’t a fairy-tale feel good movie.
How foolish of Michael Sam to buy into the whole ‘historical first gay’ nonsense.
Get your money, and then come out on your own accord! Hell, you don’t even have to come out! Who even cares who athletes are dating or sleeping with? I don’t know who LeBron’s wife is. I only know Tom Brady’s spouse because she was already significantly famous before they met.
Other than that like 99% of athletes we have no idea who they’re attracted to or who they’re sleeping with.
What logical rationale could there *possibly be* to start out your career with that being your mark of distinctionc… rather than feats and accomplishments on the field? And he bought into the media hyping him. Big mistake. Now the media’s dropped him like a hot potato. Even gay sites are now mocking him. What a tragic mistake.
If it were me screw gay rights. There is no way I’d *ever* come out under any circumstances prior to cashing in at least a couple mill from rookie season checks 🙂
I hope this is a good lesson for future gay athletes that buy into the media fairy-tale. The media will not be there for you when you’re down. Live for yourself.
Carl McClanahan
He never had a football career to start with.
Eric Erickson
What a pity he couldn’t make it in Montréal. It’s a great city to spend the summer and very gay friendly.
Kangol
@Paul Wallin: What is that comment about Obama supposed to mean?
I hope he can get it together. He does have talent; he wouldn’t have earned the college honors he did if he lacked ability. The boyfriend does seem to be an issue, though.
Does Michael Sam have anyone else around him who can give him positive, helpful advice that he’ll listen to? Or in addition to Vito are there just hangers on and vultures?
Cagnazzo82
@Kangol: I would honestly tell Michael Sam to find the nearest time machine, but that’s not a viable option 🙂
Also the person who brought up Obama is a troll.
Giancarlo85
@Kangol: Don’t pay much attention to Paul. Just another right wing troll that posts once and runs away.
SportGuy
@MarionPaige: Exactly! Sad part is vito is already with a closeted NFL player.
James Reyes
When did his career ever begin?
Bob LaBlah
@jason smeds: “Then once breeding sets in, the heterosexually-inclined man’s interests turn to child-care, school, trips to Disney World etc. The homosexually inclined man continues on his path to the nearest bath-house.”
Are you saying, in an indirect way, that he would have only been able to befriend black players? I read what you said three times and that is what I am reading based on the antics of football players and responsibilities.
Giancarlo85
@jason smeds: “Then once breeding sets in, the heterosexually-inclined man’s interests turn to child-care, school, trips to Disney World etc. The homosexually inclined man continues on his path to the nearest bath-house.”
It’s unbelievable how much of a homophobe you are. Do you realize that is hardly the case? Most gay men don’t go to bath houses. You are just an ignorant dumbass. I really don’t think I can say anything else about you. Go troll some other site with your egotistical crap.
Craig Marker
Yes. Should have kept QUIET!
Merv
@Blazipitous: I’m sorry to hear about your friend.
Matt O'Brien
What is he thinking? They offered u good money for 2 yrs. u signed the contract to play yea it’s the CFL but still any athlete would jump at that opportunity n u throw it away. Smh
Masc Pride
@Xzamilio: That face he always makes looks like he just shit his pants.
@lauraspencer: The Arthur Ashe award is paid for (as are most prestigious awards these days). Everything is a negotiation. “Courage” isn’t really necessary if you have the right connects. Great message for the youth.
@James Reyes: The million dollar question!
odawg
@jason smeds: Do us all a favor and STFU!
stranded
Going by the comments, i guess the tide has changed and now people feel its ok shit all over him. I don’t follow football, so i don’t really care too much about him, but from the media frenzy it feels like he was bombarded with expectations and overly scrutinized. If you take the gay out of the equation, he’s just a college football player who tried to go professional but didn’t make it. There are hundreds of them every year. Most probably struggle to find a new career path. Maybe he didn’t have the skill or the mental capacity. Who knows? He should have never gotten so much attention so soon, i mean no wonder he got wrapped up in it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he will try and get a reality show. It’s just how things are done now. He was a young man who loved football, who wanted to go pro, but he was also unashamed to be gay and didn’t hide it. That’s still something to look up to.
Cagnazzo82
@stranded: I feel like his experience closed the door to a lot of up and coming gay athletes looking to play pro sports… And not in the sense he somehow messed it up for everyone else, but rather his experience will be viewed as a cautionary tale.
And why not? Just as you pointed out look how fickle people are. The gay community doesn’t support him. Gay media doesn’t support him. Plus when he came out he basically cut ties with his family. Now he falls, and he basically falls alone.
Who would ever want that?
Meanwhile the alternative is keeping your mouth shut, never mentioning your sexual orientation publicly and cashing ridiculous checks. Then you have the entire world open to you to do whatever you want with all your money after 10 or 15 or 20 years of pro sports.
I can totally understand why gay athletes would choose to remain closeted from here on out. It’s entirely logical.
James Roach
Yes.
McShane
He’s slow. He has always been slow. He ran a 4.91 forty at the veterans combine in 2014 and a 4.99 forty this spring. He quit to avoid the embarrassment of being cut.
The only thing he’s going to be able to chase down and sack is a book deal.
Cam
@Blazipitous: No, you were in the closet and your friend was a bigot, totally different scenario.
Tackle
@MarionPaige: Funny thing is that you get a lot of slack on here, but you called this correctly when this whole Micheal Sam thing broke about him becoming the first openly gay Football player, in the major league. Saying how “it was a mistake, and a dumb decision on Micheal’s part to come out.”
Micheal has given subsequent interviews saying it was his handlers decision with the whole coming out party thing, and he would have done things differently. I’m sure now he sees how fickle the LGBTQ community can be , espically towards a person of color. Now he’s being thrown under the bus.
Oh @MarionPaige: on a side note: You also called correctly , regarding the guy who bashed the white gay couple over the head with a chair at the Dallas BBQ restaurant in New York. Questioning why they were referring to the alleged suspect as Black, when many other ethnic groups who can have that type of look. Well in case you haven’t heard, the alleged suspect is Middle Eastern…
TriForceKid1013
A few months ago I had so many people arguing with me about how homophobic the nfl was and telling me how he was a really good player who wasn’t getting a fair shot and now I see mostly everyone posting the same things I said about him.
TheAngryFag
His problem was he was not established as a football player before he came out. I am all for being out but it looks to me like he came out, was shown to be unproven, and is using the homophobia of the NFL as an excuse.
Blazipitous
What’s wrong with dating a bareback porn star? Most of you are also in relationships with dudes who’ve taken loads up their asses and you have the audacity to say that about someone else?
At least Vito’s ex does it for money. You all suck dick and get pounded for free. So get out of here with that hypocritical shit!
Ladbrook
@Blazipitous: LOL. Can’t disagree with that one!
I’m not sure what Sam has planned for his future, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he married his BF and signed on to a reality show on TLC. Of course, he could make millions as a porn star, and there’s nothing wrong with being a porn star.
NoCagada
@jason smeds: “The homosexually inclined man continues on his path to the nearest bath-house.”
So, that’s where you’ve been? Speak for yourself. My two best friends are straight men and I have never been in a bath house.
Jeez…I hope you get screwed while you’re there because you definitely need a good one.
Kangol
@Tackle: The person who just turned himself in for the attack at the NY Dallas BBQs is of Middle Eastern ancestry but presents as black (there are black people in the Middle East). Just saying.
@Cagnazzo82: I definitely get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think his experience closed the door. Let’s not forget that Jason Collins also came out too. There is still a great deal of homophobia in US professional sports, but both Collins, as a vet, and Sam, as a newly drafted player, have opened the door. One day we’ll look back and appreciate Michael Sam for the pioneer he truly is and was.
I still do hope he can get things together. So far no one knows why he left the Alouettes, right? Was he homesick? Is something going on with his boyfriend? Is Sam having other family problems? Was he on the verge of being cut? Can someone reach him and find out what is going on rather than gleefully trashing him as a failure before the clock runs out?
Masc Pride
@Blazipitous: 100% agreed! You have a very “colorful” way with words. lol
@Ladbrook: It’ll probably be E! or OWN. TLC seems rather conservative.
Masc Pride
@TheAngryFag: This is also very true. If Michael Sam was a kick ass player known for being a kick ass player BEFORE coming out, his coming out might’ve done what it was intended to do. Sometimes it’s best to let things happen naturally instead of pushing so hard.
Tackle
@Kangol: I know that there are Black’s in the Middle East, Just like there are Blacks in Asia, and White’s in Africa. And “he presents himself as Black”: what the fu@k does that mean? I can present myself as White, and a person can present themselves as as the want, but does make that make it so? And, how do you know this? You don’t! I have not read anywhere where he has said he identified as Black. Your just making sh!t up.
Black Pegasus
Over 90 percent of the comments here are insulting and sickening!
They range from blaming Michael Sam himself to claiming he never had the talent. This entire Michael Sam saga should prove that Black Men will never have the full support of the white gay community. Some of you should feel ashamed of yourselves! None of you could’ve achieved anything close to what this young man did yet you’re comfortable and confident sitting at your computers making snide remarks about his failures. Typical..
Masc Pride
@Black Pegasus: I don’t think this is a race issue at all. Even us evil white gays were supportive and excited about Sam in the beginning; was it a race issue then? He just turned out to be more about fame and spotlight than the actual game. False hope and fraud tends to turn people off.
Cagnazzo82
@Masc Pride: As much as I hate to agree with you, it is in fact true that Michael Sam sealed his fate when he tried to invite OWN to document his pre-season training with the Rams.
That just showed he wasn’t about being serious about practice, but rather buying into his own hype and building up his legacy.
All-in-all big mistake.
This kid hasn’t accomplished anything aside from aborting his own career by not focusing on it. He’ll be living with regrets and contemplating ‘if-onlys’ for the foreseeable future.
Bob LaBlah
@Black Pegasus: “None of you could’ve achieved anything close to what this young man did yet you’re comfortable and confident sitting at your computers making snide remarks about his failures. Typical.”
You didn’t either. And your sitting at home on your computer doing what? So there. Now I know you feel shame. Snap.
MarionPaige
@Tackle: “you called this correctly when this whole Micheal Sam thing broke about him becoming the first openly gay Football player.”
thanks for noticing.
and, in re the guy who claimed that there are “Black People in the Middle East” … Black Professor Henry Louis Gates had trouble finding people who identified as BLACK in Africa (during his travels). Gates commented, on camera, that no one wanted to be Black after an African (and Black looking) guy he was talking to claimed that he was Persian.
Masc Pride
@Cagnazzo82: That was the beginning of the end. Coaches hate showboating. We knew about his sexuality before we knew much about his athletic performance. I was pretty amped about him at first because the media (both str8 and gay media) always presents gay as either a fashion-forward queen, a str8 girl’s favorite accessory always ready to tell someone off, or as an HIV PSA/AIDS victim. I felt like a 6’2 260lb athlete was a good deviation from the common stereotypes.
It should be mentioned that it’s not all Michael Sam’s fault though. Howard Bragman is probably most responsible for turning this kid into the Kim Kardashian of football.
MarionPaige
I like to point out that Michael Sam was lucky enough to be in a profession where his race would not be a handicap. And, what does the guy do? He creates a handicap for himself by drinking the Out Kool-aid
Bob LaBlah
@Cagnazzo82: “As much as I hate to agree with you, it is in fact true that Michael Sam sealed his fate when he tried to invite OWN to document his pre-season training with the Rams.”
Part of me did not want to believe he could have been THAT stupid so to satisfy that part I google searched it and it turns out to be a VERY damaging interview he did. When she (Oprah) got around to asking if other gay players had contacted him and he said yes I knew then it was over for him His speech pattern and body language do not look comfortable, though I do commend him for sparing us a Pegasonian approach to the question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9kFz8-4Az0
Cagnazzo82
@Bob LaBlah: It was so unnecessary. Even I forgot he went that far, but I do distinctly recall reading part of the transcript from the interview where he mentioned that.
So essentially not only did initiate a documentary about himself prior to even being on the team… but apparently he could not be fully trusted to leave other closeted players out of a conversation in which they clearly did not want to engage in for obvious professional reasons.
I’m not sure if there’s anything else to say after that.
You could almost even argue the league had justification for cutting ties with him after that.
George Eckert
all the best in the future. and career is not over
Bob LaBlah
@Cagnazzo82: To be honest with you, I’m sure that IS why no one will go near him. I have been out of the closet for more years than many of you reading this are old and I would not mind a younger gay person coming along on the job to talk to, shall we say. But I would NOT appreciate it at ALL if he were to go back and say “oh, by the way, you know he’s gay too”, more or less. He cut his own throat and personally, I find it right at hard to believe Oprah didn’t know the repercussions to those questions she was asking. She has been in that business for too many years to NOT know what NOT to ask.
This guy is history and to be honest with you, after seeing that, I say good riddance. No one needs a shit starter coming along and screwing up a multi-million dollar paycheck and ten-thousand plus square foot mansion just because he feels the need to tell the world he prefers a pole in his mouth. No, junior. Go start you revolution some where else. You had your chance and only YOU screwed it up. I bet he would have been surprised who/how many other players throw boy-only pool parties regardless of what team he hooked up with. What a little fool.
Transiteer
Gay or not Gay – you’re expected to show up for work. He’d better. He’s a bit of a role model now, and flaming out won’t do anyone any good. Get whateveritis sorted, and get your gay ass back to Montreal and make us all proud. They still want you, so don’t be letting them down too.
Paco
It’s his life to do with as he pleases. The “activists” will have to find someone else to latch on to and use. The only lesson learned for other athletes with pro aspirations is to be careful when they come out, because there are groups just waiting to turn their lives into a circus.
I wish Mr. Sam the best.
NoCagada
@Blazipitous: And your research was done where? Princeton? Harvard? Yale? URANUS?!?
NoCagada
Get a job at WAFFLE HOUSE!
missedgle
@John, It’s much easier to criticize than praise. It’s a heavy burden to have that on your shoulders at 25 and
we really don’t know whats going on with him,as for the ugly comments its seems to be the right of passage theses
day’s,no kind of civility at all. On a intellectual level its frightening to see all the trash comments on post like
theses etc.It goes to show people are really not happy with who they’re are instead of trashing him let s have his back
I know I’m ask for way too much lol.
missedgle
P.S. just asking, why all the race comments. I thought this was about football,okay?okay talk amongst yourselves